Xaxas: A Chumash Village on Santa Cruz Island
A closer look at one Chumash village and its island. This excerpt uses the opening paragraph and part of the section “Chumash on Santa Cruz Island.” It leaves out the account of the first Europeans to land there, and the rest of the page.
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The Village of Xaxas
Xaxas (hä´ häs) was the second largest historic Chumash village on Santa Cruz Island. It was at Prisoners Harbor and was lived in for over 3,000 years. It was a major port of trade and a departure point for cross-channel travel. At the time of European contact, the village was home to about 95 to 160 Chumash. (This was during Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo’s voyage in 1542.) They included many high-ranking families, a powerful chief, and tomol (plank canoe) owners.
Chumash on Santa Cruz Island
Archeological studies show that people have lived on Santa Cruz Island for at least 9,000 years. The island was home to the largest population of island Chumash. They developed a highly complex society. It depended on harvesting the sea, craft specialization, and trade with mainland groups. The Santa Cruz Island Chumash made shell beads and used them as currency. This was an important part of the Chumash economy overall. People on the east end of the island mined chert from the many rock outcroppings. They used it to make tiny blades for drilling holes to make the shell disc beads. The villagers had no known contact with outsiders until the 16th and early 17th centuries.